Hog-breeding crate.



L. S'IURMl HOG BREEDING @MTL- PPLIMTION FILED muso, laos.

Patented Mar, 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-#SHEET 1- L. STURM.

HUG BREEDING CRATE.

APPLIATIoN FILED JULY so. lena.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@OMM/magi Wm U57 LESTER STURM, OF VANDALIA, ILLINOIS.

EDG-BREEDING CRATE.

Application filed July 30, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mair. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 446.157.

To all 'whom "it may concern:

Be it known that l, Lns'rnn Streu, a citizen of the United States. residing at Vandalia, in the count)V of Fayette and State of Illinois, have invented a new and uaeful Hog-Breeding Crate, of which the following is a Specification.

The invention relates to improvements in hog breeding crates.

The object of the present invention vis to improve the construction of hog breeding crates. and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability, capable of a variety of adjust ments to facilitate breeding l'letween relativeli7 large and small animale.

lith these and other objecte in view.y the invention consists in thc construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fullyv described1 illuetrated in the accompanying drawings. and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being underistooil that varioue changes in the forni. propel-t ion` size. and minor details of construction. within the Scope of the claiine, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or satn'iticing' an v of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings z-Figure 'i is a` perspective view of a breeding crate` constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. l ia a longitudinal sectional view ol the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse Sectional view on the line 3i of Fig. Fig'. l is a tranaverse sectional view, taken ,substanti-all)v on the line 4-i of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is" a detail sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig'. 2.

Lilie numerals ot' reference designate corY responding parte in all the iigures of the drawings.

1-1 designate the sides of the traine of the crate. which iS open at the front to permit the entrance of the animals. The sides are composed of horizontal hars arranged at intervi ls. and Secured to front and rear corner posts or uprights and il. preferably converging upwardly at a .slight inclinatimi1 as clearlT illustrated in Figs. l and of the drawings. The Sides oi the crate are counected at the back b v upper and lower transverse bare 4 and 5, secured to the rear edges or faces of the rear posts or uprighta.

The crate is provided with a transverse partition (i, forming a head board and located at a` point intermediate of the ends of the sides of the crate. This partition or :sidesVl of the crate by laterally extending pivots T and 8, preferably formed integral with a reinforcing frame t), constructed of Suitable metal and composed of a horizontal top portion and parallel aide portions. The horizontal top portion of the reinforcing freine extends across the top ot' the head board or partition at the rear face thereof, and the aides of the reinforcing frame are secured tothe partition or head board adjacent` to the Side. edges thereof. 'l`he journal or pivot T. which is extended beyond the adjacent side of the frame, is equipped with a crank handle it). by means of which the head board or partition is oecillated haciilvardlv and forwardl),T to position the saine to Suit the length of the aniniai. The head board or partition is locked in its adjufsttinent b v means of a transverse rod` ll. passing through longitudinal openings of the loops l2 of the head board or partition and through alined perlforatione ,iii of the Sides ol' the crate. The perforations ll are arranged at suitable intervals, and the loops, which ma),V he formed by straps, or other suitable means, connect` the head board or partition with the transverse rod and prevent the former from moving either bucle ward or forward from its adjusting position.

The sow supported within the crate upon au adjuetable bottom or platform H. scoured at the back with the lower transverse bar 5 by Suitable hinges lo, which permit the platfr'um li to be raised and lowered. The free front end of the platform is connected by side chains Ytt' with a tread board 1T. located in advance of the platform it for the accommodation of the boar. The chains lo, which mayv he of anyY desired construction, extend upward from the platform 14 and the tread board i7 and pass over grooved pulleys 1S oil a transverse Shaft itl. journaled in suitable bearings of the front uprights or corner poste The terminals of the chains are secured to the platform and the tread board blv eye bolts.` or any other suitable means, and the pulleys lith which mayv loe constructed of any suitable material, are provided in their grooves with recesses Q0, conforming to the configuration of the` linka of the chains and adapted to prevent the saine from Slippino'. rlhe Shaft ttl. which is Squared at the end 2i to receive a crank handle is adapted to be rotated to adjust the tread board and the platform, which are head board is hung from the top hars of the t simultaneously movable in oppossite. direcmit. .A

tions, the tread board being raised when the i rests 36, extendingr longitudinally of the platform is lowered, and the platform being elevated when the tread board is lowered. By this adjustment the animal support may he readily arranged in proper relative posi tion to compensate for any difference in the size of the animals. The transverse shaft and the grooved pulleys, which are intel'- loelied with the chains, are also adapted to adjust either the platform or the tread hoard independently should an excessive adjustment be necessary. A continuous rotation of the transverse shaft i9 to the right operaies to lower the platform and raise the tread board, and after the platform has been lowered to the ground, or other supporting surface. this forward rotation of the shaft 19 will raise the tread board.y which can be elevated any desired distance within the limits of the apparatus. A reverse rotation of the shaft 19 will lower the tread board and raise the platforni, which may be elevated even after the tread board has reached the limit of its dmvnward movement. rl`he platform and the tread board are secured in their adjustment by means of a gravity act'-` ing dog or paw] mounted in. suitable guides Q4 of the adjacent front post or upright 2 and engagingr a spur pinion Q4, whereby the sha ft lll is locked against movementY in either direction. The tread hoard provided at its front faire with transverse eleats Q5 to atl'ord a tirm foot hold.

The breedingV crate is equipped with a straddle bar 2G, arranged at an inclination and connected at its lower end to the platform Il near the Center thereof by means of a hinge QT and provided at its upper end with rigid laterally extending arms, formed by a transverse bar 28. The arms are provided with concave inner faces and besides; confining the sow within the erate are adapted to provide a rest or support for the animal. The stvraddle bar is adjusted by means of a windlass including a transverse shaft il() and side chains 3L secured at` their lower ends to the terminals of the transverse bar and connected at their upper ends by grooved pulleys 3Q, which are fixed to the shaft 30. The pulleys are provided in their grooves with recesses conforming to the configuration of the links of the chains to prevent the same from slipping. The Windlass 30. which is squared at one end to receive the crank handle 22, is secured in its adjustment by means of a ratchet wheel 34: and a pivoted pawl 35. The ratchet wheel, which is arranged at one side of the frame, is fixed to the transverse shaft 30 and is engaged by the paw] 35, which is mounted on the adjacent corner post or upright 2. The Windy lass shaft is adapted to be rotated to raise and lower the straddle bar. The breeding l crate is equipped at opposite sides with foot l rate at the inner faces of the sides and hinged to the latter adjacent to the head board by means of approximately L-shaped hinge elements 3T and vertical and horizontal bolts 3S and 35h forming' pivots or pintles. The vertical bolts pierce the inner ends of the foot rests and the approxiniate portions of the L-shaped hinge elements. The horizontal bolts pierce vertical portions of the hinge elements and the adjacent sides of the crate. By this construction the foot rests are adapted to be raised and lowered and are also capable of inward and outward i'l'iovement', whieh is effected simultaneously with the raising and lowering of the foot` rests by means of upright cams 4t),y designed to be constructed either of wood ormetal and mounted on the inner faces of the sides of the Crate at points intermediate of the ends of the foot rest and jn'esenting convex fares to the foot rests. The convex faces of the cams are composed of inclined upper and lower portions, and they are adapted to cause the foot rests to move inwardly toward eaeh other. The foot rests preferably eonsist of wooden bars and they are adjusted hy means of a windlass consisting of a transverse windlass shaft 45 and ropes or cables 4:6, connected to the free end of the foot rest` and to the windlass shaft, and adapted to be wound thereon and unwound therefrom. The windlass is journaled in suitable bearings of the rear corner posts or uprights fl. and provided with a suitable crank handle 4T. lt is secured in its adjustment by means of a ratehet wheel 4S and a pivoted pawl 49. mounted on the adjacent rear corner post or upright 3. The ropes or cables extend forwardly from the rear windlass shaft to the ,guide pulleys 50. located above the front ends of the foot` rest and designed to be seeured to the sides of the. crate in any suitable manner. The foot rests are simultaneously adjusted by means of the rear windlass to arrange them in proper position to suit the size of the animals.

llaving' thus fully described my invention.y what I claim as nenT and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

l. A breedingr crate including a vertically adjustable platform.y a vertically adjustable tread board, and manually operable means connected with the platform and the tread board for simultaneously moving the same in opposite directions and for locking' the said parts in their adjustment.

2. A breeding crate comprising a vertically adjustable platform, a vertically adjustable tread board` and manually operable means including hoisting mechanism eonnected with the platform and the tread board for simultaneously moving the same in opposite directions, said hoisting mechanism being also arranged to permit an independent adjustment of one of the boards when the other is at the limit of its downward movement, and means for locking the parts in their adjustment.

3. A breeding crate including a. vertically adjustable platform, a vertically adjustable tread board` a shaft located above the platform and the tread board, flexible connec tions extending from the shaft to the platform and the tread board for simultaneously adjusting the same, and means for locking the shaft to secure the platform and the tread board in their adjustment.

4. A breeding crate including a vertically adjustable platform, a vertically adjustable tread board, continuous flexible connections extending upward from the platform and the tread board, a shaft provided with means for supporting and engaging the flexible connections at an intermediate point between the ends of the same, whereby the platform and the tread boards are simultaneously adjusted and one of such parts is independently adjustable when the other is at the limit of its downward movement, and means for looking the shaft to secure the platform and the tread board in their adjustment.

A breeding crate including a head board permanently pivoted at the top and terminating short. of the bottom of the crate aud arranged to swing longitudinally thereof, operating means located exteriorly of the crate for swinging the head board backwardly and forwardly, and means for connecting the lower portion of the head board with the sides of the crate for securing the said head board in its adjustment.

G. Av breeding crate including a head board provided with a reinforcing metallic frame having integral laterally extending pivots journaled in bearings on the sides of the crate, and a. crank connected with one of the pivots for adjusting the head board.

'l'. A breeding crate including a transverse partition or head board pivoted to the sides of the crate and arranged to swing longitudinally thereof, a crank connected with the partition or head board for adjusting the same, and a transverse bar adjustably i l l i mounted on the sides of the crate for securing the partition or head board in its adjustment.

8. A breeding crate including a straddle bar hinged at one end and provided at the other end with arms rigidly connected at` their inner ends with the straddle bar and forming rests for supporting an animal, and adjusting means connected with the outer ends of the arms and supporting the straddle bar.

tl. A breeding crate including foot rests located at opposite sides of the crate and movable upwardly and downwardly and inwardly and outwardly, means for raising and lowering the foot rests, and means ,for automatically moving the foot rests inward as the same are raised.

l0. A breeding crate including foot` rests located at opposite sides of the crate and movable upwardly and downwardly and in wardly and outwardly, means for raising and lowering the foot rests, and cams arranged to engage the foot rests for .forcing the same inwardly simultaneously with the vertical adjustment of the foot rests.

l1. l breeding crate. including foot rests located at. opposite sides of the crate and movable upwardly and downwardly and inwardly and outwardly, means for raising and lowering the foot rests, and upright cams mounted on the sides of the crate and presenting convex edges to the foot rests, said edges having inclined upper and lower portions.

12. A breeding crate including opposite foot rests, substantially L-shaped hinge elei ments arranged` at one end of and supporting the foot rests, approximately vertical pivots piercing the foot rests and the said hinge elements, horizontal pivots piercing the hinge elements and the sides of the crate, and means for adjusting the foot rests.

Aln testimony, that I claim the foregoing my own, l have hereto atiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

G. G. COUNCIL, C. lV. LONG. 

